Fired JCPS employee challenges board’s decision in court
A former technical coordinator for Jefferson City Public Schools filed a civil case against the district, challenging the school board’s decision to fire her in July.
Tammy Ferry was the subject of a monthslong internal investigation by the district, after the tenured employee transferred thousands of records from a JCPS digital drive onto a personal email account.
Ferry claimed her attorneys instructed her to do so in preparation for an upcoming trial of her 2017 discrimination case against the district. In that case, Ferry claimed that district leaders retaliated against her as a result of her testimony in a similar case filed by her former colleague, Karen Ray.
Ferry’s attorneys argued that no records were at any time disclosed to the public, however, the school board voted to terminate Ferry, claiming her actions constituted a violation of its policy and of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
The civil appeal filed Monday claims the decision should be reversed because it was unlawful, unreasonable and constitutes an abuse of the board’s discretion.
The decision was made just days after a nearly 12-hour hearing on July 11, in which attorneys and witnesses presented evidence and gave testimony about the file transfer.
Ferry told ABC 17 News she will apply for retirement benefits while she continues to fight her legal battles.
Ferry’s 2017 civil case is set to be tried in Cole County in November.
